S'mores Cupcakes

Are you tired of this winter yet? I have been for some time now. Even our vacation in Florida last month with temperatures in the high 70's didn't help me to feel better about this bitter, cold, snowy mess that won't quit. So, I decided to bring a little summer into the kitchen. Actually, this recipe was my daughter's idea. We have been working on it off and on for some time now. The cupcake flavor was a bit of a challenge, but we figured it out.

The cupcakes are graham flavored. Most people make graham crackers and graham flavored things with graham flour; but as you might guess, it is not gluten free. So, we tried a couple different things before we got it right. Then we filled the cupcakes with chocolate filling and frosted them with toasted marshmallow frosting. They are crazy good. I mean crazy good! 

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

1/2 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup Honey

1 1/2 Tablespoons Molasses

2 Large Eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon Vanilla

3/4 cup Soy Flour

1/2 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour

1/2 cup Potato Starch

2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Xanthum Gum

1/2 teaspoon Salt

3/4 cup Milk, hot

Chocolate Filling

1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
2/3 cup Milk
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Milk Chocolate
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Milk Chocolate
Marshmallow Frosting
4 Large Egg Whites, room temperature
1 cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners. Set aside

In stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat butter, sugar, honey and molasses until smooth.

Mix in eggs.

Mix in vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthum gum and salt.

With mixer on low, slowly add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, 1/2 the milk, 1/3 of the dry ingredients, the other half of the milk, and the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients.

Using a medium scoop, scoop batter into lined cupcake tins. Bake for 20 minutes.

Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to cooling racks to cool completely.

While cupcakes are cooling, make chocolate filling. 

In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix together cocoa powder, brown sugar, milk, salt and milk chocolate until boiling.

Remove from heat; add butter, vanilla and milk chocolate; and stir until completed mixed. Let cool and thicken.

When chocolate filling has cooled, fill cupcakes. We put the chocolate filling in a squeeze bottle, and used the handle of a spoon to create a whole in the cupcakes. (When I make these again, I will fill the cupcakes with more chocolate filling than this time.)

To make the marshmallow frosting, fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.

Place the eggs whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in the stand mixer bowl and whisk by hand to combine. Place the bowl in the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Heat the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch (about 120° F) about six minutes.

Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Turn the mixer to medium and whisk for 1 minute. Increase the speed to high and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes more. Add the vanilla and whisk until just incorporated, about 1 minute. 

Transfer frosting to a gallon size zip-top bag and snip a corner to use as a pastry bag. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

Using a kitchen torch, lightly toast the marshmallow frosting. There you have it - S'mores Cupcakes! Share with your friends and family to bring some sunshine into your life. Enjoy!

After all, "Sunshine is the best medicine!"

~Sheryl

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Raspberry Chocolate Bars

These bars are a delightful marriage of sugar cookie, raspberry jam, and chocolate. Of course, I love all of these things, and was sure these would be incredible. However, when my friends, my husband and I first tried them, we weren't completely sold on them. 

But, I hate to throw out baked goods; so I put them in a sealed container, and left them for the next day. Oh how surprised I was when I tried them again the next day. 

Trust me, these bars are 100 times better the next day. My advice is to make them at night before you go to bed, and wait to eat them until the next day.

What You Will Need:
Small Bowl

Whisk

Fork

9 x 13 Pan

Small Saucepan

Large Spoon

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Soy Flour

1/2 cup Tapioca Starch

1/4 cup Potato Starch

3/4 cup Sugar

3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

1 pint  Fresh Raspberries (You could also use frozen, thawed and drained)

1/4 cup Water

1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

3/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips

1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In small bowl, whisk together soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch and sugar.

Add butter and mix with a fork until pea size lumps are formed.

Press mixture into 9x13 pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Mix together corn starch and water.

In small saucepan, mix together corn starch mixture and raspberries. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute. Cool 10 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked crust.

Spoon raspberry mixture evenly over chocolate chips.

Bake for 20 minutes or until raspberry mixture is set.

Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

Melt white chocolate chips and canola oil in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment, until completely melted. Cool for 2 minutes. Spoon into a zip-top bag, clip the corner, and drizzle over bar. Refrigerate overnight.

Cut into 2 inch squares and serve. Store in an air-tight container.

Just try them. You will like them.

Many are the plan's in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. ~Proverbs 19:21

Don't let this discourage you. God's plans are ALWAYS better. Sometimes it takes a while for them to unfold, but they are ALWAYS better.

~Sheryl

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Chocolate Covered Raspberry Cookies

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!

OK, this may sound bad, but I pretty much love anything chocolate covered! But, I especially love strawberries or raspberries covered in chocolate.

And what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with pink cookies that taste like chocolate covered raspberries? I couldn't think of a better way. Well, except for the fact that the family and I packed up and left this morning headed to sunny Florida and the happiest place on earth - Walt Disney World. As my kids would say, "Epic Valentine's Day!"

But, let's get back to the cookies - raspberry flavored cookies with milk chocolate chips. That sounds amazing enough, right? Yet, you know how I love to push the envelope of amazing, so I dipped some and drizzled some of them in even more chocolate. Holy cookie, batman! Trust me, you will be speechless. They are that good.

What You Will Need:
Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Medium Bowl
Whisk
Spatula
Plastic Container
Cookie Sheets lined with Silicone Mats or Parchment Paper
Medium Scoop
Cooling Racks
Small Bowl
Wax Paper

Ingredients:
1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
3/4 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
2 Large Eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup Oat Flour
3/4 cup Potato Starch
3/4 cup Tapioca Starch
1/4 cup Corn Starch
1 small package Raspberry Flavored Gelatin
1 1/2 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips (Optional for Dipping)
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil (Optional for Dipping)

Directions:
In stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar - approximately 4 minutes.

In medium bowl, whisk together oat flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, corn starch, gelatin, xanthum gum, baking soda and salt.

Add eggs and vanilla to sugar mixture and mix well. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula.

Slowly add dry ingredients to stand mixer. Mix well.

Add milk chocolate chips and mix until combined.

Using medium scoop, scoop dough into plastic container, using wax paper between the layers of dough balls. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Place dough balls on lined cookie sheets approximately 2 inches apart. I usually put 8 cookies on a sheet. (This dough is pretty soft even after being refrigerated. You may want to roll the dough balls back into balls before placing them on the cookie sheets. This will ensure that your cookies will be pretty circles, not odd shaped alien cookies.)

Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Let cool on cookie sheets for two minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

OPTIONAL: Melt milk chocolate chips and canola oil in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until completely melted. Let cool.

Dip cookies in melted chocolate and place on wax paper to set.

Put some of the melted chocolate in a zip-top bag, snip the corner, and drizzle the chocolate on the cookies.

Didn't I tell you they were amazing?

"Some people look for a beautiful place. Other people make a place beautiful."

Which kind of person do you choose to be? I want to make beauty!!! Will you join me?

~Sheryl

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Peanut Butter Cookies

This past weekend, I needed to bake something for a bake sale at church. My husband suggested that I make some peanut butter cookies. I have to be honest, peanut butter cookies have never been my favorite. I'm not really sure why, since peanut butter cups are one of my favorite snacks and I also really like peanut butter and peanuts, but peanut butter cookies just never seemed to do it for me. Regardless, it sounded like a good idea, because I know that they are really popular with lots of people.

Although they are still not my favorite cookie, I think these turned out really good. My husband liked the ones with chopped nuts. I especially liked the ones dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with chopped nuts. They not only tasted great, but they looked incredible too. Which one will be your favorite?

What You Will Need:
KitchenAid Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Medium Scoop
Cookie Sheets lined with Silicone Mats or Parchment Paper
Fork
Cooling Racks

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1 Egg (I use Extra Large)
1/2 cup Soy Flour
1/4 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/4 cup Potato Starch
1/4 cup Corn Starch
1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Directions:
In KitchenAid Mixer bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy.

Mix in the peanut butter and egg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, xanthum gum, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl. Mix until dough comes together.

OPTIONAL: Add 1/2 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts, and mix until combined.

Using the medium scoop, scoop the dough into a plastic container. Place waxed paper between layers, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Place dough balls on lined cookie sheets approximately 2" apart. Using a fork, flatten the dough balls in a criss-cross pattern.

Bake for approximately 16 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on cookie sheet for two minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies. (I made two batches.)

"Sometimes the most ordinary things can be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people."
If you haven't experienced this, you are definitely not spending your time with the right people.

~Sheryl